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Parents of Woodland Public Schools students can now track their student's bus location in real-time

KWRL, the transportation cooperative serving Woodland Public Schools, is proud to introduce live Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking for the bus routes serving Woodland.

Parents can now use real-time GPS to see when their student's bus is coming to pick them up or drop them off.

Parents can now see the precise location of their student's bus in real-time using Skyward Family Access. By logging into Skyward Family Access, clicking the District Links drop-down in the upper-right, and selecting KWRL Parent Portal, parents can type in their student's bus number and the software will begin tracking the bus in an overhead map view, helping parents know when the bus reaches their student's stop.

Parents can access the KWRL Parent Portal for GPS tracking by clicking on the District Links drop-down menu in Skyward Family Access.

KWRL is able to offer this new feature through Samsara, a special live-tracking software also used by the trucking industry to track drivers throughout the United States. KWRL will use the new software to view the school bus locations as well as perform vehicle diagnostics remotely to ensure buses receive needed maintenance. With the new software, KWRL employees can see engine diagnostics including fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure, odometer reports, engine error codes, and even engine speed in Revolutions Per Minute (RPMs). "Having accurate real-time tracking of our buses is incredibly valuable," said Shannon Barnett, KWRL's Transportation Director. "Our previous system could have as much as a 15-minute delay between check-ins, but the new system uses cellular phone towers for virtually immediate reports so we can see our buses where they are right now."

The new software will enable KWRL to improve routes, increase efficiency, and ensure passenger safety.

In addition to diagnostics, Samsara will allow KWRL to guide bus drivers with detours and directions, helping to ensure that bus drivers don't get lost. The software also gives KWRL the ability to produce analytic reports showing how many times a bus is late or early at a given schedule, helping KWRL create more accurate schedules and modify routes as needed. "We believe this new system will provide increased efficiency to our scheduling systems," said Barnett. "We can update routes in minutes instead of having to spend hours collecting information because the software can produce reports on request."

KWRL will also ensure drivers take necessary safety precautions as the software reports every time a driver uses stop paddles, flashing lights, or hazard lights while the software also tracks excessive speed or acceleration as well as harsh braking. "Knowing our drivers' speed and driving techniques is critical to improving our training and ensuring passenger safety," said Barnett. "Our drivers know we have this data, and they appreciate it because the software brings additional accountability to the cooperative."

GPS bus tracking is available to Woodland parents right now with KWRL expecting to bring tracking to Ridgefield, La Center, and Kalama school districts (the other districts in the cooperative) in the near future.